Georgia Tech looking to move forward

ATLANTA — With only a few days before they head off to Ireland for the season opener, there’s still some uncertainty about what to expect from the Georgia Tech football team.

No one anticipates another 3-9 season — but no one really anticipated that one, either. Coach Paul Johnson is eager to learn, just like everyone else.

“I’m not sure you’ll know until you play somebody,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll be better but you don’t know until you start playing.”

Johnson has been upbeat throughout the preseason. He set an optimistic tone at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte and has continued along that path for the most part throughout the first three weeks of practice.

“Clearly our skill position players know more about what they’re doing,” Johnson said. “And even though they’re still young, they’ve played. I think our offensive line is much more athletic and Freddie (Burden) is playing better than he did a year ago.”

The backfield will be young. The starting duo — Johnson called them 1A and 1B — at B-back are sophomore Marcus Marshall and freshman Dedrick Mills. The A-backs start with Clinton Lynch and Qua Searcy and go five or six deep. Burden is on the preseason watchlist for the Rimington Award, given annually to the nation’s best center.

Johnson has noticed that the players have been more focused this year. Their attention span was likely aided by last year’s flop.

“I think last season helped our players focus,” he said. “Nobody wants to go through that again. That was a real reality check for them.”